Ermengarde of Hesbaye facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Ermengarde of Hesbaye |
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Lithograph, 19th century
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| Carolingian empress | |
| Tenure | 813–818 |
| Coronation | 5 October 816 by Pope Stephen IV Reims Cathedral |
| Queen of the Franks | |
| Tenure | 814–818 |
| Born | c. 778 |
| Died | 3 October 818 (aged ≈ 40) Angers, Neustria, Francia |
| Spouse | Louis the Pious |
| Issue | |
| House | Counts of Hesbaye |
| Father | Ingerman, Count of Hesbaye |
| Mother | Rotrude |
Ermengarde of Hesbaye (born around 778 – died October 3, 818) was an important queen and empress. She was the wife of Louis the Pious, who was the son of the famous emperor Charlemagne. Ermengarde became the Carolingian empress in 813 and Queen of the Franks in 814. She held these titles until her death.
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Life of Ermengarde
Ermengarde was the daughter of a nobleman named Count Ingerman of Hesbaye. Her mother's name was Rotrude.
Marriage to Louis the Pious
Around the year 794, Ermengarde married Louis the Pious. Louis was already a king, ruling the region of Aquitaine since 781. He was the son of the powerful emperor Charlemagne.
Ermengarde's Children
Ermengarde and Louis had six children together. These children would play important roles in the future of the Frankish kingdom:
- Lothair I (born 795)
- Pepin I of Aquitaine (born 797)
- Berta (born around 799)
- Rotrude (born around 800)
- Hildegard (born around 802), who later became an abbess (leader of a convent)
- Louis the German (born around 805)
Becoming Empress
Charlemagne, Louis's father, originally planned to divide his large Carolingian Empire among his sons. However, Louis's brothers, Pepin and Charles, died in 810 and 811. This meant Louis was the only son left to inherit the empire.
On September 10, 813, Charlemagne named Louis as his successor. Louis became co-emperor alongside his father. When Charlemagne died on January 28, 814, Louis became the sole emperor and king.
Ermengarde was crowned empress alongside her husband. This important ceremony took place on October 5, 816. Pope Stephen IV crowned them in the grand Reims Cathedral.
Later Life and Death
Ermengarde died on October 3, 818, in a place called Angers. This area is now part of modern-day France. A few years after her death, her husband Louis the Pious married again. His new wife was Judith of Bavaria. They had a son named Charles the Bald.
